Protector for telephones, &amp;c.



J. E. FULLMER & E. L. BULLIS.

PROTECTOR FOR TELEPHONES, 81c

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 20. 19.15.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE};

JOHN E. FULLMER AND EMMETT L. BULLIS, OF KILZBOURN, WISCONSIN.

PROTECTOR FOR TELEPHONEiS, 8w.

The object of the invention is to providemeans whereby instruments ofthe kindrefer'red to may positively be protected against injury to themor to their users when by reason of contact of the line wires with otherconductors such as electric light wires conveying a high potentialcurrent, or when during electric storms the wires are sub jected todangerous accumulations of electricity, a current of such intensity orvolume as to endanger burning out of the insulation resulting in shortcircuiting and destroying them or of injuring a user,passes over suchwires.

A further object is to produce a protector for the specified purposewhich shall be so constructed as instantaneously to ground the linewires when a current of unusual volume or intensity passes over them,and by which the ground connection shall automatically cut out when suchcurrent ceases to pass over the wires.

With these objects in view, the invention consists of the device havingthe novel generic and specific features of construction and arrangementof parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated an embodiment of ourinvention which is adapted particularly for use in connection with atelephone which is in a metallic circuit, though as will be clear froman understanding of the invention it may be applied with equal facility,after slight modification, to any instrument operated in connection witha grounded circuit.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the protectingdevice; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connectionswhen the telephone is in condition for operation; and, Fig. 3 is adiagrammatic view showing the electrical connections when the circuit isgrounded between the line wires and the telephone.

In the usual construction of the protector Specification of was Patent.P t te Ar 11, 191

Application filed September 20, 1915. Serial No. 51,574.

we employ a base oriplate '1, whichmay be i i of any suitable materialbeing preferably of rubber, Vulcanized fiber or other non-conductor ofelectricity. Suitably disposed on ing post 2 is attached the linewiresl: and

to the post 3 is attached the line wire 5;

Arranged adjacent to the binding post 2 s a binding post 6 and adjacentto the bindlng post 3 is one similar to thatadjacent to the post 2. Thepost 2 is electrically connected to the post 6, and the post 3 issimilarly connected to the post 7. Each offthe posts 6 and 7 haveconnected to them a wire 8 and each of these wires is wound upon a softiron core 9 preferably forming two oppositely wound helices 10 and thewires are. then connected to a telephone instrument :11 in a suitableway as by the binding posts 12 and 13, and the wires 14 and 15.

-The helices and cores are each'preferably covered by a water-proofcoating, and are each supported by a standard 16 of nonmagneticmaterial.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the posts 2 and 6 and 3and 7 are respectively electrically connected by means of plates 17 and18 each extending beneath and in contact with the posts to be soconnected, and each of the plates has an upturned end terminatingadjacent to a core 9. Attached to each plate at the upper end is a softiron head l9-norn1ally spaced from the end of a core. The plates arepreferably of some non-magnetic metal such as German silver. Theresilient upturned ends of the plates are of such a thickness that theywill hold the heads 19 away from the cores against the slight attractioninduced by the I current of a battery ordinarily employed in theoperation of the telephone.

Each of the upturned portions of the plates 17 and 18 has attached to ita projecting contact piece 20 preferably of iron, and arranged adjacentto each of such upturned portions are arms 21 of conducting materialeach having thereon contact pieces 22 preferably of iron which arearranged oppositely to and normally separated from the contact pieces ofthe plates 17 and 18. The arms 21 are each electrically connected bymetallic plates 23 contacting with the lower ends of such arms, and theplates are from injury.

connected to a binding post To the binding post is connected one end ofa wire 25 the other end of which is grounded.

The protector hereinbefore-described in no way interferes under ordinaryconditions with the working of the telephone with which it isincorporated, but if from any causea current exceeding in volume orintensity that ordinarily jemployedpasseslover the line wires, the coresare instantaneously energized'and the respectiveheads l9 drawn intocontact. lVhen this takes place the respective contact pieces 20 and 22are brought together establishing a connection through the describedparts to'ground between the line wires. and the telephone thusprotecting the telephone or the user thereof On the discontinuance ofthe excess current the strength of the attraction ofthe cores isdecreased and the resiliency of-the upturned ends of the plates 17 and18 is sufiicient to remove the contact pieces 20 fromthose on the arms,thus automatically cutting out the ground connection and restoring theline and instrument to normal conditions.

We claim: 1

1. In a protectivedevice, linewires, electromagnets connected in serieswith the line wires, armaturesconsisting ofresilient plates having headsadjacent to and normally spaced. from thecores of the electromagnets andconnected to the l1ne wlres, contact pleces arranged on the armatures,

cent to those on vthe armatures and normally spaced therefrom, andconnections between such arms and ground, whereby the. line wires aredirectly connected to the ground an armature consisting of a resilientplate arms having contact pieces-arranged adjawhenever'the armatures areattracted by the 40 having ahead adjacent-to and normally spaced fromthe core of the elec'tromag'net and connected with the line wires, acontact piece arrangedjon I the armature; anarm having a contact piecearranged adjacent to that" on the armature and normally spacedtherefrom, and a connection between such armand-gr'ound, whereby theline wires are directly connected to th'e gro'undwhenever the armatureis attracted" by the electromagnet. In testimony whereof we oursignatures in presence of -twowitnesses;

" JOHN-E-nFULLMER.

1 EMMETT L. BULL-1S lVitnessesr I L. N; COAPMAN,

' O. PrHELLA'ND.

Copies of this patent mayl be obtained for five cents each,by'add're'ssinglthe G'ommissibnerrof 'Pafents,

Washington, D. C.

